GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The No. 5 Colorado Mesa baseball team swept a doubleheader from the visiting UCCS Mountain Lions on Saturday (Apr. 22) at The Diamond at the Bus Bergman Sports Complex in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.
In game one, freshman
Liam Hohenstein pitched a complete game shutout to lead the Mavericks to another 11-0 victory over the Mountain Lions. He allowed just four hits while striking out eight in just 88 pitches.
Hohenstein retired the first eight batters he faced before surrendering a hit and allowed just two runners to reach second base but neither got any further.
The Mavericks led 4-0 heading to the fourth inning when
Robert Sharrar,
Conrad Villafuerte and
Christos Stefanos hit consecutive RBI singles to build the lead to 7-0. Then in the bottom of the sixth inning, Villafuerte lifted the first pitch he saw over the fence in left center field for a grand slam and an 11-0 lead.
The senior finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored and five runs driven in along with that, his seventh home run of the season.
Sharrar kept his hot bat going with another 2-for-3 performance with two runs scored, four runs driven in that included a three-run double in the bottom of the second.
In the nightcap, Colorado Mesa fell behind 2-0 in the top of the second, but they responded with seven unanswered runs and held on late for 7-6 win.
The Mavericks clawed back into the game with a pair of RBI single from
Conrad Villafuerte and two-run singles by both
Ethan Ezor and
Julian Boyd.
Braden Winget had the other RBI for the Mavericks with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third.
Kannon Handy earned the win after going four innings and allowing two runs on five hits, walked three and struck out five to earn his fifth win of the season.
Colorado Mesa led 7-2 heading into the sixth but the bullpen surrendered four runs in the final two innings and the Mountain Lions had the go-ahead run on base when the final UCCS player struck out to end the threat.
The Mavericks are now 32-9 on the season and 21-2 in the conference and maintain their lead in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
The two teams will conclude the series tomorrow with a single nine-inning game beginning at !2pm.
